make friends with enemies - chance thread

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Stanford was my #1, but I was rejected. I'm sad now...I probably had the most posts in the Stanford thread, voted MVP of the thread (yes, we were bored and freaking out) Anyway, hello Harvard and bye-bye West/East coast debate!</p>

<p>ACADEMICS</p>

<p>Class Rank 1/309 (weighed)
GPA 5.38/5.83 (weighed)
SAT I 800/690/730 (Math/CR/W)
SAT II MathIIC: 800, Physics:770, Chemistry: 750, Korean: 770<br>
AP Courses Calculus BC(5), Chem.(5), Stud.Art(5), Europ.His.(4), Amer.His.(4)</p>

<p>AWARD/HONORS</p>

<pre><code>International Level
</code></pre>

<p>Intel International Science and Eng. Fair (10) 3rd place in category (psychology)
Intel International Science and Eng. Fair (9) Participation (engineering)
National Level
Boy Scout of America (12) Eagle Scout
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist (12)<br>
AP Scholar with Distinction Award (11)
National Jr. Science & Humanities Sympo. (11) Presenter</p>

<p>State Level</p>

<p>Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (11) 2nd place
Badger State Science Fair (10) 2nd place in category
Scholastic Art Award (10) Silver key winner
State Park Sticker Design Contest (10) Honorable mention
Badger State Science Fair (9) 1st place in category
State Solo and Ensemble Festival (8) Perfect scorer (Piano)</p>

<p>Regional Level</p>

<p>National Honor Society (12) President
Nicolet Regional Science Fair (10) Overall winner
Nicolet Regional Science Fair (9) 1st place in category
North Shore Math Conference (10) Varsity 1st place team
North Shore Math Conference (11) Varsity 2nd place team
Varsity hon. mention individual</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES</p>

<p>Korean Association of Milwaukee (10-12) Student coordinator (10-12)
Boy Scout of America (4-12) Patrol leader (10)
Church Youth Group (7-12) Praise band (9-12)
Small group leader (11, 12)
Volunteer at Hospital Emergency Room (10-12)
Science Seminar (10, 11)<br>
Math Team (9-12)
Policy Debate (10-12) Varsity state qualifier
DDR Club (11, 12) Founder and president (11, 12)
Table Tennis Club (9-12) President (11, 12)
Tennis Team (9-12) Jr. Varsity (9, 10), Varsity (11, 12)
Volleyball Team (9, 10) Freshman-captain (9), Jr. Var. (10)</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Asian (eek!)
Location: WI
+ Art supplement</p>

<p>I don't stress any of my "asian-ness" or "nerdy" side because I think the scores and my extracurricular/honors list will show that. Anyway, these are my essays.</p>

<p>Recs: Don't consider them a problem
My personal statement dealt with the problems I encountered as I moved 3 times in my life during my academic years between countries. It is done in a collage of short stories arranged by grade level. Mom my cried when she read it. lol</p>

2

<p>um ^^; i don’t mean to sound mean but you’ve got international mixed up with national and state mixed up with regional, but your regional is right…</p>

<p>EC: very nice, any awards?</p>

<p>good gpa/sat btw</p>

3

<p>Great chances.</p>

<p>I honestly don’t know why Stanford outright rejected you. But if we could look into their minds, there would be no need for College Confidential. Oh well.</p>

<p>Good luck with Harvard!!</p>

4

<p>sorry, but let me be truthful. i don’t really see any passion in your activities. your sciences are fine, but i think the year that you got them in is too far away from today. most people who get accepted have 11 and 12 grade awards stacked. i would have deferred you from stanford, but seeing that they rejected you…there might be more to the hidden puzzle.</p>

<p>oh yeah, raise your CR score. typical asians have horrible CR scores and only strive in the math and sciences. </p>

<p>*sorry for being so critical, but i hope this makes you better.</p>

5

<p>I don’t know how to show more passion than multiple (9-12) and highest leadership position in the activity. thanks tho</p>

6

<p>It looks like you did some science, math, music, boy scout, debate, video games, a couple of non-contact sports, a little art. It seems like you’re all over the place. What are you really passionate about? When I applied to Harvard, I only had a few ECs but they were all very concentrated in one area.</p>

7

<p>“DDR Club (11, 12) Founder and president (11, 12)”</p>

<p>You are my hero!</p>

8

<p>I was rooting for you to make it into Stanford man, especially since you’re a fellow ISEF finalist. Idk how you didn’t get in.</p>

<p>By the way, psychology was a category at ISEF in Indianapolis? Are you positive?</p>

9

<p>Ahh it was Behavioral and Social Sciences that you won a grand award in. I hope you get into Harvard.</p>

10

<p>Thanks Sytlesahib</p>

<p>And no matter how few concentrated activities you do, it is just once space per activity in the application, and essay to back it up.</p>

<p>If the admissions anywhere assume that commitment/passion gets spread out with multiple activities, instead of having two or three “concentrated” activities, I think that’s messed up. As long as they show depth, why can’t an applicant have multiple passions? I’m just a community-friendly religious science/math nerd who likes to draw, play tennis, and “try new things and stick with it” type of guy. How the heck am I supposed to present myself without the admissions giving me penalty for doing too many things?</p>

11

<p>well, DDR club kinda sounds like a joke where you just tried to get a leadership position in…</p>

12

<p>This goes to show that winning somethign at a international science fair is no hook for anyone</p>

13

<p>I’m not saying there’s anything wrong. If that’s the way you are, then that’s the way you are. Many are successful who are just like you. </p>

<p>I am pretty one-dimensional on the other hand. When I was in high school, I loved to play basketball. I ate, slept, and dreamed basketball. The entire basketball team consisted of tall/big black underachieving students from poor families, and I was the only Asian. Even though I accomplished nothing at the state, national, or international level, I did establish a strong bond with my teammates and helped the entire basketball team (most of them were D students) score at least a 3 on the AP Calculus exam. That’s what my essay was about. All my volunteering, ECs, charity events, and accomplishments were sports-oriented. I was lucky enough to get a job with the Boston Celtics over the summer, and that was an awesome experience. Lots of community events and activities to put down there, and I got one of my letters of rec. from my boss. I just embraced what I loved, studied hard, didn’t worry about my future, and I guess Harvard liked it. I have a feeling that there are probably less students like me and more students like you in the applicant pool.</p>

14

<p>I guess ur right.
haha. btw the DDR club wasn’t of course one of my core activities. It was just a part of my “resume.”</p>

15

<p>ive noticed your posts alot alohasam89.
i dont know how u got rejected from stanford. thats something i really want to figure out. maybe too much stuff isnt good?</p>

16

<p>I’m sorry, when I see SAT I 800 (Math), SAT II Math II: 800, Physics:770, Chemistry: 750, Korean: 770, a bunch of Intels, “math” appearing several times throughout your resume, in my head, I hear a loud voice screaming: GENERIC ASIAN.</p>

<p>Thank goodness I suck at math and the mathematical sciences :)</p>

17

<p>Geez. I don’t know why Stanford would reject you. I would have definitely thought you would be at worst deferred. I know Stanford wants to pick people that are sometimes “out of the ordinary,” but sometimes they miss very good people and get the wishy-washy kinda good ones. </p>

<p>That being said, good luck with Harvard! I can say you have a chance, but I have no idea how adcoms make decisions these days…</p>

18

<p>thanks guys
i think i found out why.
just as that harvard dude said, its kinda hard to see my passion in my app. they are probably looking for how I will identify myself on the campus, like maybe a violinist, star researcher. but i’m… a very nice guy. that doesn’t seem to work</p>